Tarot Cards are presented in a deck and in a pattern. They are not haphazardly spread out on a table or read in order. There is one card that seems to provoke stronger feelings than the rest, which would be the Death card. We see a skeleton in armor riding a horse. That horse is pure white. The flag being carried is black with a five-petaled rose. It seems ominously dreadful, but in general it is not.
What does it mean in general?
The death card tends to symbolize change. Many times, it is the end of a bad relationship and transition to a new one. It can be the end of a chapter. Maybe a job change, or a new romantic relationship. Frequently it represents clearing the way to go from a negative situation to a positive one. The end of an old cycle and start of a new one. It can be thought of as one door closing and another one opening. We should try to embrace this change.
One can seek out a tarot card reader and would be glad to draw the death card. Perhaps they sought out the tarot reader because they were thinking of a job change. Or maybe they were not sure about a current romantic partner.
For example, a person may be in a toxic relationship and unable to end it because they are indecisive or don’t know what to think, so they drag things on. A tarot card reader that explains the death card in context of this person may mean they really should end this relationship and move on. This will close one door and open another. However, it may also be taken that the couple needs to change, and things can work. In this interpretation, the couple may both end some bad habits and embrace change. So, in this case the person or the couple will ultimately be in a more positive position. It will mean different things to different people.
What does it mean upright? What does it mean reversed?
The position of the card is important as well. It can be upright or reversed. When the card is upright it symbolizes, the end of a major phase or time in your life. Our person in a toxic relationship might embrace the upright death card and feel strong enough to end the relationship but realize that it will open the door for a new and better one! A more positive one. Upright, the card can also mean you are shedding unnecessary worries and baggage and moving forward onto a new path.
When the death card is reversed, or upside down, things change slightly. For that same person in a toxic romantic relationship, they may be on the verge of calling it off and looking to the future. While an upright card would symbolize this chapter will close, a reversed card may symbolize resistance. Fear sometimes can stifle our ability to move on. The person can then look in the proverbial mirror and see a reflection of someone who is afraid to take the plunge!
Now of course tarot card reading is more complicated than this. There is a whole deck of cards to be drawn from. The cards can mean different things depending on their position on the table. In addition, a death card will vary depending on what else it is adjacent to. It also depends heavily on the person getting the reading. They will come into this with their question and situation; each reading will then be unique. Then of course the tarot card reader is a major variable.
All in all, drawing the death card in the right context can be a very positive outcome! It may be in an upright position symbolizing putting the past behind, completing a chapter, or even the start of a spiritual awakening! That same card in reverse position shows fear of new beginnings or simply resistance to change. So, if you sit for a tarot reading and draw a death card, don’t fret. However, you should be ready for upcoming change!